Most six-year-olds probably were anxious to attend class in Old Red, Elgin’s stately red-brick elementary school located on South Avenue C. From my kindergarten porch, I often sat staring at Old Red, watching the big kids. The square two-story building was constructed from area bricks. I was told some bricks were hand-shaped from clay dug near the old grave yard. The school house was set back on a large block of high land. The structure looked to me more like it erupted from the surrounding red sand, not built by man, but a natural happening. No attempts were made to plant ...